So many good words have been spoken and written about the Shade & Illuminate Highlighter & Shader Duet, which piqued our desire to try it. Even if not all of Tom Ford Beauty‘s products are absolute hits (for those price tags, especially), an item receiving this much love from all corners of the beauty community will probably be good, right?
Encased in a golden metallic package, this contouring palette is every bit as gorgeous as you’d expect a Tom Ford Beauty package to be. After all, the brand embodies luxury, and it’s only fitting that the actual products look up to the task. The actual product formulas themselves are similarly luxurious. The moment it’s applied to the skin, it feels light and creamy, so application goes by in a breeze. Said creaminess also goes a long way from blending out the product, and getting the most natural possible look out of it, eliminating harsh lines and the like. Once set, the product adheres well to the skin, giving up to ten hours of wear time on less sweaty days.
On the other hand, besides the price tag, there are also a few other things that work against the overall success of the product. One of the main issues of the product is because of the way it grabs onto the skin, after setting, it begins to feel drying—a feeling that carries over to the rest of the wear time. Sure, the drying might help the overall wear time, but is that discomfort even worth the long wear time? Also, the highlighter specifically has problems showing up as a highlighter. In a way, it looks more like a very light brightening concealer, so if you want blinding highlight, you may need to top it off further.
All-in-all, we find the good words of the world about this product accurate, if a little exaggerated. It doesn’t break new ground in terms of contouring, but it does provide a luxurious experience that other palettes definitely cannot replicate—for better or for worse.
SUITABLE FOR:Â Normal to dry skin.
Other Information
- The Tom Ford Beauty Shade & Illuminate Highlighter & Shader Duet is available in four color ways for light, medium-light, medium-dark, and dark skin tones.
- This product also happens to be the sister product of the Tom Ford Beauty Shade & Illuminate Cheeks, which we’ve reviewed here on the site before.
